In the fall of 2011 and spring of 2012, students at South East Junior High and at The University of Iowa made mental maps of the city.
Above, 20 freshmen and sophomores in a class taught by Raquel Baker and Ted Gutsche drew their maps of Iowa City.
Above, more than 90 students at South East Junior High in Iowa City worked with CrossingBorders.us in late September and early October to tell stories about their communities in Iowa City. The students were in teacher Rachael Arnone’s classes.
Below, take a look at maps made by students at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa City in April 2012. These are adult students, many who moved to Iowa City from Chicago.
Flip through the maps above, then comment below.
How are they similar or different?
What do you see as different ways we talk about the same city?
How do the maps look alike?
What can maps tell us about our lives and our communities?
There are some very interesting answers to those questions.